How to Survive the Chaos of EOFY

How to Survive the Chaos of EOFY

Do you dread this time of the year, the end of the financial year (EOFY)?

The time of year when you find yourself frantically ploughing your way through paperwork, doing your best to stay calm with the financial reporting deadline looming. I get how you feel; there’s so much to do! The truth is it doesn’t have to be that crazy. With the right mindset, and some simple tweaks you can meet those important deadlines and still keep your sanity intact.

Each year I look forward to 1 July, and I treat it as my second fresh start for the year. I know for many, it can be quite a hectic time of the year, while others seem to keep their cool and still retain some balance.

So, what creates the difference?

I’ve identified 10 mindset tweaks and practices that I use to survive the EOFY chaos:

1. Declutter your environment.

Your environment plays a huge part in how productive you are. If you are working in a cluttered environment, you will work with a cluttered mind, and this slows your progress. Plus, it feels claustrophobic. Clear your work and home space, and that includes your emails, to give yourself a clean slate.

2. Declutter your mind.

Working with a cluttered mind is like trying to vacuum a teenager’s bedroom with clothes all over the floor. It’s frustrating! We are all thinking all the time especially when there’s so much to do. So, as tasks pop into your mind, write them down to declutter your mind.

3. Have a daily ritual and don’t stop because you are busy.

A daily wellness ritual keeps us calm and energised. It’s even more important to maintain it during busy times because it increases productivity, but this is when most people stop. Let go of all or nothing and, if you need to, scale your ritual down. Even 15 minutes a day will help.

4. Work at your most productive time.

We all have a time of day where we work most productively. Find the time of day you work at your best and tackle your most difficult tasks then. This means you will get far more done in less time with less procrastination and stress.

5. Break your workload down into small chunks.

If you are looking at your workload as a whole then it can feel overwhelming, it’s like trying to eat a bar of chocolate without breaking it up! It makes something, which can be pleasurable, difficult. Break your workload down into small portions and laser focus on the portion you are working on only.

6. Work in blocks of time.

It’s easy to get distracted when you have no set work structure, and this definitely slows you down. I am the queen of distraction, I should know! When you create blocks of time to focus on one particular task, then it removes distractions. Make sure you put up the no disturb sign when you do this.

7. Stop taking on so much and learn to say, “No.”

What’s the saying, if you want something done then give it to a busy person? They are busy because they are always saying yes! Learn to say no to tasks that aren’t important to you and that can easily be done by someone else.

8. Say, “Yes”, to offers of help.

We often say, “No”, to offers of help because we think we might be putting someone out or we think it’s easier to do it ourselves. People only offer to help if they want to and it fills them up to know they are helping. Let go of control and make someone’s day by saying yes to offers of help.

9. Learn to delegate well.

I know many people attempt to delegate, but don’t know how to do it well and give up. Remember delegation is a win/win and if you delegate well then it challenges the other person and helps them grow. Delegate to the person who has the right qualities and skills, and enough space to say, “Yes.”

10. Remember to breathe.

When we feel stressed or anxious, we often hold our breath without realising it, or our breathing is shallow because our mind is racing. This makes the stress worse. When you slow your breathing, it relieves the stress and anxiety. Be aware of your breathing, close your eyes and take some slow deep breaths to slow your brainwaves down and bring a sense of calm.

And as a bonus, my 11th tip is, avoid the chaos this time next year by making sure you prepare early. Create earlier deadlines and stick to those deadlines as if they are real. Notice that the focus this time next year will then be on thriving instead of surviving.

Deb Johnstone is an accredited mindset and NLP coach. She works with clients to help them develop their mindset and thinking, to create change and achieve higher level results. She is passionate about helping her clients to achieve their desired outcomes and has worked with people in all aspects of life, including business. Deb has a background of management in small business. She is the founder of Transformational Pathways Australia and the creator of a group-coaching program for small business owners, Mindset 4 Business Success. She assists small business owners to take their business to the next level.